The Portland daily press., 1887-03-04
OLD CITY HALL.
An Address to the Citizens of Port
land.

An Address to the Citizens OF Port
land.
At tile approaching municipal election, the
question of the removal of the Old City Hall Will
be submitted to your decision.
Believing this to be matter of deep impor-
lance to the present and future welfare OF the
city ana that it has not been discussed with the
deliberation and calmness it deserves, we take
this method of inviting your attention to some
facts bearing on this question, which should be
carefully considered and not lightly passed over.
At the outset, certain erroneous impressions
should be removed which tend to obscure the
points in ISSUE and certain prejudices put aside,
which withdraw attention from the real ob1ec-
tions to the measure proposed
The erection of a monument to commemorate
the Soldiers does not depend on the settlement
of this question. No man, or set OF men VIII
openly avow that If Market Square cannot be
secured as a site, no memorial shall be erected
ON some one of the other appropriate sites with
in our city. Nor can any man or SET OF men De
found who object to monument. -
Let us not be understood as obJecting TO liberal
contribution by the City to the monument but
let whatever is so contributed be OF su )stantial
assistance to the work while it does not sacrifice
great living interests. To advocate action by
the City to that end, there is no hesitation.
attention relate to the taking of this particular
place and none of these objections can be made
or will be made to any other OF tine beautiful
sites on which monument might be placed.
Keen clearly in mind that we object TO destroy
ing Old City Hall and approprlatlng Market
Square for site for monument, ana that in
urging these objections we still claim that we
cherish the memory of our Soldiers with as pro-
found gratitude as those whose views on this
question differ from our own.
We assert that the Soldiers themselves are not
unanimously in favor of this spot as the best site
for such structure, in proof OF which we point
to names appended to this list.
Nor should any one allow himself to act in this
matter under the influence of any dislike for the
uses for which the building has hitherto been oc-
cupied. If il is preserved as the City's property
its owners can control the use to be made of ir.
We wish especially to call affection to the fact
that this property has large value and that in
the city's present financial condition. with the
rate of taxation now required to pay expenses alb
soutely necessary, common prudence requires
that so large sacrifice shall not be made
The estimated population of this city in 1885
was $4,000. The gross debt is about 81, 1000 900,
or $105 for every man, woman and child in Port
lane. The census of 1880 shows that Portland's
debt per capita is exceeded by but six cities in
the United States. The unfortunate effect of
these great debts on most of these cities is only
too well known.
Our State tax last year was S1l4,ooo, our
county tax SIT 900. The rate of taxation, S2l
per thousand, was kept at that rate by reducing
the discount for prompt payment and raising
the valuation on the stocks of merchants.
Complaints are made that school houses are
crowded and badly ventilated that new drains
and sewers are required, that streets need paving
and repairs, but these improvements, strictly
municipal in character, cannot be made, for they
cost more than we can afford. Sanitary engi-
neers and our physicians have warned us that the
public health is imperilled by poisonous exhala
tions from Back Cove and the suffering people
have given no uncertain expression of their opin-
ion about the nuisance and have urged that it be
abated. But to this appeal the answer is made
| that the city is too poor TO build q system of
sewerage and protect the health of its citizens.
fha 10 I.Nnw
| on funded debt, state and county taxes most
rigid economy in every department is imperative.
more costly system of street lighting, a large
outlay for the new Cape Elizabath ferry landing,
and new school house, will greatly add to our bur-
| dens during the coming year and seem to require
| heiger rate of taxation.
Taxes weigh heavily on all classes and heaviest
on those least able to pay them. They merely
retard the growth of the fortunes of the very
wealthy. But merchants struggling against eager
competitions from other cities, low rates of pro-
fit, and losses from bad debts, know the effects
| of high taxation. An increase in the valuation
put on their stocks of goods comes at a time
| when it is hardest to bear To widows and chill
| dfen and infirm persons who by strict economy
hardly live on small incomes, high taxes and low
rates of interest mean deprivation of the necess-
| ties of life. In higher house rent and dearer
| clothes and food. the man who depends on his
| days wages makes his forced contribution to
| public necessities. High rent and prices bring
the situation home to the poor man with terrible
| distinctness.
| In this condition of affairs the city owns a
| where values are rising faster than in any other
section of it's territory, In the schedule of assets
| this property is valued by the city at $4,000, a
valuation no one deems adequate. The ground
| floor and basement now yield rental of $500,
| or per cent. on $4,000. Upon this portion of
the property the city has not spent one dollar in
| repairs Tor the past fifteen years. In the upper
| portion of the building are ward room and three
armories for military companies which if this
building is demolished must be provided at large
expense elsewhere. Leaving these indefinite ele-
ments OF value we are authorized to state that
| the present occupants of the basement stand
| ready to take a lease of the whole building at
rental of per cent. on 900, SO we say it is
worth $4,000 at least. Its future value, if the
| city continues to grow in the present direction,
must largely increase, This large property you
are asked to give away and to raise by taxation
| practically $4,000 a year perpetltdHy to make
| for the condition of the people, the duty of mu-
nicipal economy and the dictates of prudence.
| You are told that the loss Of this building and
lot will be made up by the increased taxable val
| uation OF surrounding property. This property
can only be valued higher by attracting trade to
| this quarter from some other. An increase in
mere erection of a monument can add nothing to
the aggregate business of the city to justify
any real increase in the valuation of store prop
| erty.
10 vote yes, expresses deliberate opinion that
the city OF Portland can afford to give away its
worth from thirty-fve to seventy-five thousand
dollars and likely to be still more valuable; that
| the city should demolish the building and grade
the building should be taken from the city for an
| indefinite period of time before funds are in
hand for erecting the monument; that the way
should be opened to attempts to obtain means
from the city to build foundations for and incose
the monument; that any outstanding title to the
lot should be quieted by the city, that the city of
Portland, finally, notwithstanding its enormous
debt and high taxes should surrender its most
valuable piece of land and ada still further to its
taxes to give site for amonument, gift which,
we believe, involves larger sacrifice than that
made for similar object by any other city in the
country, and this in the face of the fact that
sites which excite tho envy of those other cities
are numerous and inexpensive.
Fellow citizens, the limits of this address pre-
vent even an enumeration of all the arguments
against the measure proposed. We have but out
lined the few here offered but hope enough has
been said to invite your serious thought and
arouse your sense of duty towards all classes and
conditions of the citizens that your final action
may be guided by your sober judgment and not
swayed or hurried along by any sentiment how
ever generous or blinded by any prejudice how
ever natural
Francis Fessenden, U. SWIM. Willis Gould,